Yuma, AZ (July 29, 2015)-Discover your inner artist through mandala magic. This workshop surprises everyone who takes it! The active breath meditation will facilitate your personal journey to your core, taking you beyond the thoughts of your mind into the truth of your heart. The workshop takes place on August 8th from 10:00 am to 5:00 pm and is instructed by Danielle Hering in the Legacy Conference Room at the Yuma Regional Cancer Center.

We begin with the meditation and spend the rest of the day painting. The basic pattern is provided for you to unleash your spirit onto the canvas. The process of creating a mandala will allow your heart to open as you release what no longer serves you.

All materials included (canvas, paints, brushes, rhinestones). You will walk away with a 12”x 12” Mandala painting that you will be proud to display and can use for meditative and healing purposes.

No artistic or meditative experience is required to take the class. 7 hours CEU’s for massage therapists. There is a $75 fee and is open to the public. Registration required by August 4. Register today by calling (928) 317-7674 or by visiting www.azwestern.edu/continuinged.

]]>Wed, 29 Jul 2015 00:00:00 MST Hard Work Pays Off http://www.azwestern.edu/news/article_view.html?article_id=3210
YUMA, AZ – Akhadj Diatta may not have had the flashiest game or compiled the gaudiest stats during his career at Arizona Western College, but his game of hustle, toughness and defense gave him the chance to keep playing. The sophomore will head to Bristol University in San Diego to start the fall semester.

“We are very proud of Akhadj,” said head coach Charles Harral. “He has been a wonderful member of our men’s basketball program for the past two years and will do great things at Bristol University.”

Diatta averaged 3.1 points per game and 1.9 rebounds per game in his 26 appearances as a sophomore. During his freshman season, he played in 22 games while scoring 2.7 points per game.

Diatta heads to a Bristol University team that took the Pacific Coast Athletic Conference championship last season. Bristol plays in Division II of the United States Collegiate Athletic Association.

Diatta said he plans to major in business while in school and then pursue his basketball playing career overseas after he graduates.

]]>Mon, 20 Jul 2015 00:00:00 MST Three's Company http://www.azwestern.edu/news/article_view.html?article_id=3211
YUMA, AZ – After leading the Arizona Western College Matador basketball team in three’s for two straight seasons, Ron Lee Jr. will keep on draining the long ball at Central Methodist University next season. Lee signed with CMU this week to continue his playing career after graduating from Arizona Western College.

“We are very happy for Ron,” said head basketball coach Charles Harral. “He was a huge part of our program the past two seasons. We wish him future success at Central Methodist.”

Lee established himself as a deep threat in the Arizona Community College Athletic Conference by knocking down 152 triples total in his two seasons. He knocked down 3.1 three-pointers per game in 29 games his freshman year. Defenses clamped down on him as a sophomore, but he still canned 2.1 three’s per game while also hitting clutch shots and sinking big free throws to close out games.

He now heads to a Central Methodist team that finished 12th in the National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics (NAIA) in made three’s (270) and made three’s per game (8.44). His court vision (2.8 assists per game) will also fit in with a CMU team that ranks fifth in the NAIA in assists per game.

Lee’s parents both have professional basketball experience. Ron Lee Sr. played in the NBA for six seasons and also in Europe after a Hall of Fame career at the University of Oregon. Karin Lee played professionally in Sweden.

The Matadors have now had four sophomores transfer with Lee. Ross Buchman (Fort Lewis College), Akhadj Diatta (Bristol University) and Ali Faruqbey (Idaho State University) have all signed to continue their playing careers at the next level.

--MATADORS--

]]>Mon, 20 Jul 2015 00:00:00 MST Winning Transition http://www.azwestern.edu/news/article_view.html?article_id=3209
YUMA, AZ – Two straight playoff trips in two seasons of existence mark a great start for the Arizona Western College Lady Matador soccer team. Now, Arizona Western College is proud the hiring of Marisela Velasquez as the team’s new head coach to continue the winning tradition. Velasquez will hit the ground running with the alumni game a little more than a month away.

“She’s had a lot of success and great experience as a player and coach,” said Athletic Director Jerry Smith. “She will continue to build on a strong program. I think it’s important that we also share the same goal of seeing student-athletes succeed, graduate and go on to complete a four-year degree.”

She will build on the foundation set by current men’s head coach Kenny Dale. Dale was a driving force behind the start of the women’s team at Arizona Western, and he coached both the men’s and women’s teams the past two seasons.

“I am really excited about the opportunity to be here,” said Velasquez. “This is a great chance to coach at the next level. I believe it is important to see our students succeed and graduate and pursue a bachelor’s, even if they don’t continue playing at the next level.”

“I’ve known her for a long time, even back when she was playing at the University of San Diego,” said Dale. “I’m glad to transition to her, and I think she is going to do a great job.”

Velasquez is already familiar with the local soccer scene after having spent the past six-plus seasons coaching in Yuma. She spent six seasons coaching at Kofa High School and led the team to the city championship three times. The team also was the Gila Valley Region Champion in her last season at Kofa (2014). In 2013, the Kings knocked off Division I Chaparral High School in a first round playoff game at home. Velasquez has also coached local club teams for the past six-plus seasons and is currently the head coach of the U18 Yuma Legends. Between both coaching jobs, she has coached the past five Yuma Sun/Rotary Club Players of the Year.

Velasquez jumped into coaching quickly, spending time as an assistant varsity coach in 1998 at Bishops High School while she was still playing collegiately at the University of San Diego. She spent four years as the JV coach at Yuma High School from 1999-2002. From 2004-2005, she served as the JV coach at Westhills High School in San Diego while also working as an assistant coach at Grossmont Community College.

In addition to coaching, Velasquez will also teach business courses at the college.

Yuma, AZ (July 1, 2015)-Arizona Western College is pleased to announce that they just received notification from Senator McCain and Congressman Grijalva’s offices indicating that the AWC College Assistance Migrant Program (CAMP) proposal has been fully funded.

CAMP Grant awards discretionary funding of $425,000 for the period of 7/01/15 – 6/30/16 with anticipated funding for four subsequent years; for a total anticipated award of $2,125,000. This competition was highly competitive with only 12 proposals in the nation targeted for funding; out of an estimated 50 submissions.

The College Assistance Migrant Program (CAMP) at Arizona Western College is a federally funded program designed to meet the needs of students with migrant or seasonal farm-working backgrounds. AWC’s CAMP Program is currently the only one in Arizona.

CAMP offers to eligible students’ valuable information on pre-college transitions and support services to aid the development of skills necessary to succeed in their first year of higher education. Services include academic counseling, tutoring, skills workshops, health services, financial aid stipends, and a residential program. Students will have the opportunity to develop life­long friends while participating in social activities in a collegiate environment.

CAMP collaborates with AWC faculty, student services, outreach programs, and community-based agencies to improve educational and career opportunities for all CAMP students. Limited follow-up services are provided to participants after their first year.

Rosalia Delgado is the Project Director and Dr. George Montopoli will serve as the independent evaluator outside of his current faculty assignment, with support from the AWC Institutional Effectiveness, Research and Grants office. The grant was written by Susan Dempsey-Spurgeon with critical support from Rosalia Delgado, Rigo Conde, Marisela Dickman, and Diana Doucette.

Yuma, AZ (June 30, 2015)- Faculty from Arizona Western College have been busy this school year presenting their work and representing Yuma at regional and national conferences.

Professor of English and Writing Specialist Anne-Marie Thweatt presented “Rocks, Landforms, and Landscapes vs. Words, Sentences, and Paragraphs: An Interdisciplinary Team Approach to Teaching the Tie Between Scientific Literacy and Inquiry-Based Writing” with Dr. Rick Giardino, Department Head of Geology at Texas A&M University, at the American Geophysical Union 2014 Fall Meeting in San Francisco in December.

Professor of Culinary of Arts Sheranne Dampier served as a Judge for the Culinary ProStart Invitational competition at NAU Flagstaff in January.

Professor of Mathematics Dan Russow presented at the International Conference on Technology in Collegiate Mathematics in Las Vegas on March 12, 2015. The title of my talk was "Using Motion Detectors to Model Functions".

Professor of History Monica Ketchum served as a judge for the Imperial County Office of Education inaugural National History Day competition on March 13, 2015. “Connecting to the Past through Oral Histories: Weaving the Stories of Women’s Lives” was a workshop for the Yuma Area Bureau of Reclamation Women’s History Celebration that she gave on March 25, 2015. “Zooming in on Student Engagement with Prezi Presentations” workshop at the Imperial County Office of Education Tech de Mayo Conference, May 2, 2015. “Enriching the Arizona History Class with Contemporary Native American Perspectives” to be presented at the 2015 Arizona Council for History Education Conference, Mesa, AZ on August 15, 2015. Both of her proposals for the Organization of American Historians Regional Workshop have been accepted (first time this has happened). Presenting “Recruitment and Repatriation: Understanding the Dynamics of Mexican Immigration in the Southwest, 1910-1940” and “Rejecting the Terminal Narrative: Reintegrating Native American Experiences and Perspectives into the Recent US History Survey” at Glendale Community College, July 17-19.

Professor of Philosophy David Burris presented a paper called "Prior Probabilities, Miracles, and Naturalism," an assessment of the role a priori probability plays in modern Bayesian Confirmation analyses of the miraculous, at an Evangelical Philosophical Society Meeting in San Diego back in November 2014.

Professor of Administration of Justice Studies/Homeland Security Timothy Smith received 1st place recognition in a national competition sponsored by Cengage Publishing. The competition was looking for "Best Practices" ideas for MindTap. MindTap is a learning platform that assesses both theoretical knowledge and practical application. Professor Smith will be attending a national conference of his choice compliments of Cengage Publishing.

Director of Radiologic Technology Program Victoria Holas is an accreditation site visitor for the Joint Review Committee on Education in Radiologic Technology (JRCERT). She is actively involved in the Arizona State Society of Radiologic Technologists (ASSRT), current serving as Chairman of the Board, Web Master and also updating the society’s social media site. Holas and Shelly Sizemore, who is the clinical coordinator, have provided continuing education lectures for the ASSRT that allowed Radiologic Technologists in the state of Arizona to fulfill their continuing education requirements for maintaining their certification. Victoria Holas and Shelly Sizemore, will travel to San Antonio Texas in July to attend JRCERT accreditation workshops and an AEIRS conference.

Professor of Welding Samuel Colton will co-present again on behalf of the Arizona Department of Education two instructor workshops for Arizona welding and FFA teachers. The first workshop will be the third annual “Taste of Welding” workshop held at the campus of the WestMec JTED in Glendale Arizona and a second workshop in July at the Arizona CTE Summer Conference at the University of Arizona Ag lab. Professor Colton will travel with the Arizona Western College state champion SkillsUSA students to compete at the national competition in Louisville Kentucky the last week of June. Professor Colton has been invited for a second year in a row to be the closing speaker at the American Welding Society National Welding Education conference in Chattanooga Tennessee the third week in July where he will present education innovations and the education model of the Arizona Western College Institute of Welding Technology. Professor Colton serves as the Arizona Western College technical programs coordinator, chair of the Arizona Department of Education welding advisory committee, ADE Professional Development Coordinator and advisor to the Arizona Western College American Welding Society and SkillsUSA Student Chapters. Professor Colton chaired Arizona Department of Education welding advisory meeting April 20th at ADE headquarters in Phoenix with Mr. Lebsock committee member.

Professor of Administration of Justice and Homeland Security Gary Neumeyer presented to an out of state group on Homeland Security and AWC’s program.

Professor of English Penelope Cooper presented at NISOD that took place in Austin this past May.

]]>Tue, 30 Jun 2015 00:00:00 MST High Marks http://www.azwestern.edu/news/article_view.html?article_id=3206
YUMA, AZ – The National Junior College Athletic Assocation (NJCAA) released its NJCAA Academic Student-Athlete Awards for individuals and teams. Arizona Western College is proud to announce that eight players and two teams were honored with awards.

“I am very proud of our teams and these select individuals who earned these honors,” said Arizona Western College Athletic Director Jerry Smith. “We preach the importance of a good education here at Arizona Western College, and it is great to see our student-athletes earn these academic awards.”

The softball team led the way with a 3.27 cumulative team GPA under head coach Nikki Bethurum.

“I’m proud of what the team did academically this year,” said Coach Bethurum. “They all worked hard all year long to be competitive both on the field and in the classroom, and it’s great to see them rewarded for it.”

New online CT-Scan certification program helps hospitals, clinics meet new national, state regulations
Radiologic Technologists increase the value of degree with new program

Yuma, AZ (June 18, 2015) — A new online-only program at Arizona Western College (AWC) offers certified radiologic technologists a chance to increase their skills and position their employers for full compliance with new national and state regulations regarding Computed Tomography (CT).

A new January 2016 requirement by the American Registry of Radiologic Technologists (ARRT) for 16 hours of academic education in computed tomography means that AWC’s new program is perfectly suited to bring current technologists up to compliance in less than a year.

The program includes The Physics of CT, Positioning Protocols and Contrast Media, Cross Sectional Anatomy, and Cardiac CT Planar and Volumetric Post Processing. ARRT registered technologists who are not currently working in CT must also complete three clinical courses.

The program is entirely online and available to students across the country. Out-of-state clinical students must locate their clinical sites prior to the start of the program, and AWC faculty will arrange clinical contracts.

Arizona Western College is a public, 2-year college that serves a 10,000 square mile district spread over two counties. AWC offers certificates, professional development, and transfer degrees in over 90 programs offered in 10 locations. Nearly 12,000 students annually attend classes at AWC or via online or ITN platforms.

]]>Thu, 25 Jun 2015 00:00:00 MST Van Why to Cal Baptist http://www.azwestern.edu/news/article_view.html?article_id=3204
YUMA, AZ – Staying home and going to college for a year can be a great way to work out the bumps and figure out how to solve problems. Arizona Western College Lady Matador softball player Ashley Van Why did that this past season and now is ready for a new adventure. The outfielder signed a commitment letter with California Baptist University and will head there in the fall.

As a freshman, Van Why spent the season playing multiple roles. While not an every day starter, the Gila Ridge product did score four runs and pick up three RBI. She hit .214 in 14 at bats, but she was also hit by four pitches for a .421 on-base percentage. During the team’s sweep of GateWay Community College, she finished 2-3 with a run scored and two RBI.

California Baptist finished playing its second season as a full, active NCAA Division II member. Before working through the approval process, the school competed in the NAIA and NCCAA.

Yuma, AZ (June 11, 2015) - Arizona Western College is seeking work selfies of alumni near and far for a social media campaign.

The college is demonstrating the value of higher education by inviting grads and other former students to send in or post photos in their current work environment, while tagging the school and using the hashtag #AWCAlum. The college maintains profiles on Facebook , Twitter and Instagram (both @ArizonaWestern).

In a 2015 study on higher education called “American Freshman”, by US News and World Report, 165,000 new students from 234 colleges said that the two most important factors in choosing a college were good academic reputation, and that graduates get good jobs. Dean of Marketing and Public Relations, Lori Stofft, cites this recent research as a reason for recruiting alumni to participate in the campaign.

“The idea is to encourage and inspire our current and future students by sharing positive images of how a few classes or a few years at AWC can help move you to the next stage in your career or education,” said Stofft. “It’s also a great nod to students who have studied here, and gone on to contribute to their communities and their industries.”

The first two examples demonstrate the diversity of the student body and the longevity of the school. Major League Baseball catcher and First Base Coach Bengie Molina played shortstop for the Matadors in 1991-92, and is now a published author. More recently, Chelsea Morris, now working at AWC as the Residence Life Assistant, graduated last year after serving in the college Student Government and studying Psychology.

For help in participating in the campaign, alum can send their photo along with their name and job title to Stofft at Lori.Stofft at azwestern.edu, or call 928-314-9595.

Yuma, AZ (June 10, 2015)- Support the construction of the newly renovated Theatre Building at Arizona Western College with a Commemorative Brick. Your brick can commemorate a special event in your life, honor a dear friend or family member or memorialize someone special or simply purchase a brick in support of AWC Fine Arts Scholarships. Bricks will pave the way to the new theatre entrance.

For a gift of $50 you receive one 9"x 6" engraved brick including up to 4 lines of text with a maximum of 13 characters per line. Includes punctuation and spaces.

Ordering is easy! Simply fill out the form online at foundation.azwestern.edu or through the Foundation Office. Completed forms and checks may be sent to the AWC Foundation Office.

This opportunity will only be available until Friday, June 19, 2015. There are a limited amount of bricks available and they are going quick. Please contact the AWC Foundation Office for additional information at 928-344-1720 or 928-317-7620.

]]>Wed, 10 Jun 2015 00:00:00 MST Late Signing http://www.azwestern.edu/news/article_view.html?article_id=3201
YUMA, AZ – After spending the season as a deep threat for the fifth-ranked Arizona Western College Matador football team, wide receiver Jaren Colston-Green committed to Utah State University. He will graduate from Arizona Western College in the summer before heading to USU in the fall.

“Utah State’s getting a good kid and a great football player,” said AWC Head Coach Tom Minnick. “He will add speed to their receiving corps.”

Colston-Green averaged 15 yards per catch during the past season for the Matadors and hauled in 11 catches for 165 yards and three touchdowns. His best game came in the second game of the season in a 49-20 win over Scottsdale. The redshirt-freshman snagged three receptions for 74 yards and a pair of touchdowns.

Utah State competes in the Mountain West Conference (MWC) and is located in Logan, Utah.

Colston-Green will be the second player from Arizona Western to commit to Utah State during Coach Minnick’s tenure and third player overall since 1999. He will have three years of eligibility left.

Yuma, AZ (June 4, 2015)-On May 25, Arizona Western College Police Officer Jose Encinas was at Ocean to Ocean Bridge, with his family, when he became aware of a child in distress that was swimming in the Colorado River. Officer Encinas moved towards the child in an effort to rescue him. The child grasped him causing both to become submerged. Once Officer Encinas freed himself, he was able to continue lifesaving efforts and eventually got the child to safety. After the rescue, the child’s parent was located and Officer Encinas explained what had happened and the child was then left in the care of his mother.

John R. Edmundson, Chief of Police at Arizona Western College, sent a commendation on May 27 to Officer Jose Encinas and wrote, “Your efforts on that day, not only speak highly of you as a person, but exemplify those traits as a professional law enforcement officer. Congratulations on your outstanding efforts and success.”

]]>Thu, 04 Jun 2015 00:00:00 MST More Awards http://www.azwestern.edu/news/article_view.html?article_id=3199
YUMA, AZ – Two outstanding first-year players keep piling up awards for the Arizona Western College Lady Matador softball team. Jessica Flores and Alexis Lockwood may need a bigger trophy case after this past season. Flores was named to the National Fastpitch Coaches Association (NFCA) All-American first team on Wednesday afternoon. Both players made the All-Region West Team, with Flores on the first team and Lockwood on the second team.

Flores earned her spot as a utility player, which was fitting after her year at Arizona Western. She played both as an outfielder and a starting pitcher, and she batted .519 (third-best in the NJCAA DI). She was named the Arizona Community College Athletic Conference Player of the Year as well as the Region I/District A Marucci Elite Hitter. On top of that, she was named a second team All-American by the NJCAA.

Flores finished the season with a 1.045 slugging percentage (second nationally) on her way to rewriting the Lady Matador record books. She hit 13 doubles and 17 home runs while also knocking in 67 RBI in 51 games.

As a pitcher, she finished 21-4 with two saves in 29 appearances. She led the ACCAC with a 1.57 ERA in 156.0 innings while also striking out 112 batters.

Lockwood nailed down her spot as an elite catcher after leading the nation with 18 runners caught stealing. She was the only every day catcher who caught at least 50 percent of the runners who tried stealing.

Lockwood also knocked out nine home runs and 40 RBI while hitting .364 with a .426 on-base percentage and a .595 slugging percentage. She was named a Third Team All-American by the NJCAA last week.

This is the second season in a row the Lady Matadors have had an NFCA All-American. Four players made the NFCA All-American teams last season.

Arizona Western College-Arizona State University partnership provides bachelor’s degrees in key needs for Yuma

Students at Arizona Western College’s Yuma campus will be able to complete a bachelor’s degree thanks to a new partnership with Arizona State University. The joint program between the two schools will offer degrees in three disciplines.

Students will be able to complete their ASU bachelor’s degrees on-site at one of AWC’s Yuma locations. Majors offered through the partnership were selected to address workforce needs in the greater Yuma area. For example, ASU’s new bachelor’s degree in criminology justice and criminology and a degree in organizational leadership starting in the fall of 2015 will help fill the need for well-qualified law enforcement officers as well as prepare leaders for work in for-profit, non-profit and government agencies in the community.

A third degree in secondary education will be added in the fall of 2016, which will help graduate well-qualified candidates to fill a chronic shortage of teachers at the Yuma Union High School District, according to Associate Superintendent James Sheldahl.

“For the past several years, the district has had multiple math and science teaching positions go unfilled – some years as many as twenty (positions) district-wide,” Sheldahl said. The program also provides “a pathway to teaching for many of our talented (high school graduates) who otherwise may not have that opportunity.”

This new partnership, six months in the making, reflects AWC President Dr. Glenn Mayle’s commitment to bringing quality education programs to Yuma and La Paz counties and ASU President Dr. Michael Crow’s drive to provide a quality education to every qualified student and to fulfill the university’s responsibility to improve the opportunities in the communities around ASU.

The Higher Learning Commission of the North Central Association has already approved ASU offering these degrees in this new location. Students will take their lower-division courses through AWC, then proceed into upper-division courses through ASU. ASU is anticipating that the Arizona Board of Regents will approve a reduced level of tuition, whereby a full-time student would pay $6,280 for two semesters of full-time coursework for the 2015-2016 academic year—a significant savings [a savings of as much as $4,198] over resident tuition at the ASU campuses in metropolitan Phoenix.

ASU staff visited Yuma on April 27 to recruit students for the new programs. ASU Vice Provost for Academic Partnerships Dr. Maria Hesse has been leading the partnership discussions along with Vice President Dr. Linda Elliott-Nelson and Dean Daniel Barajas of AWC. Hesse, who is a former community college president, explained that the partnership plays to the strengths of both institutions.

“AWC provides high quality college programs in beautiful facilities, with wonderful faculty,” Hesse said. “Students then finish their work through ASU, graduating with a degree from a top tier research university, which is highly marketable. By sharing resources, we can offer the degree at a lower cost, something appreciated by parents and community leaders.”

Students and organizations who are interested in the fall 2015 programs can contact Clayton Kidd at clayton.kidd@asu.edu for criminal justice and criminology in ASU’s College of Public Service and Community Solutions, and Kim Keck at kimberly.keck@asu.edu for organizational leadership in ASU’s College of Letters and Sciences.

Students interested in the fall 2016 secondary education program can contact Laura Grosso from ASU’s Mary Lou Fulton Teachers College at laura.grosso@asu.edu.

A partnership kick-off event is scheduled for Tuesday, October 13, in Yuma at which Presidents Mayle and Crow will both speak.

(This story originally posted on May 20th with 2014-15 tuition schedule information. It was updated May 28 to reflect the 2015-16 tuition schedule.)

AWC CDLL Renews National NAEYC Accreditation
Program Among the Top in the Nation by Earning NAEYC Accreditation

Yuma, AZ (May 28 2015)- Arizona Western College’s Dr. Kathryn A. Watson Child Development Learning Laboratory (CDLL) has successfully completed the renewal process and has earned accreditation for another five years from the National Association for the Education of Young Children (NAEYC) – the nation’s leading organization of early childhood professionals.

“I am very proud to be part of an NAEYC accredited program. Accreditation truly means the “mark of quality” for early childhood programs. The decisions that we make for the whole program on an everyday basis ensures the success of the accreditation process,” said Alma Barrandey, Director of the AWC Kathryn A. Watson CDLL. “We continuously work on improving our program and our planning is based on the 10 NAEYC Early Childhood Program Standards. Everyone that is part of the CDLL is involved and knowledgeable about NAEYC Accreditation and knows the importance of maintaining accreditation through the National Association for the Education of Young Children.”

This is the second term that AWC has earned accreditation. In order to earn NAEYC Accreditation, AWC went through an extensive Self-Study process, measuring the program and its services against the 10 NAEYC Early Childhood Program Standards.

The AWC Child Development Learning Laboratory provides a state of the art laboratory setting where students observe and learn to work with young children as part of their college program. Each student will become a knowledgeable and experienced child care professional with an understanding of child development and observation, appropriate practices, and the planning and preparation necessary to create a quality environment for young children.

To create a high quality environment for our students that models best practices, the CDLL staff works in coordination with the parents of enrolled children to offer children ages 6 weeks to 5 years old the opportunity to develop physically, cognitively, socially and emotionally within a prepared conducive to active learning. The overall program goal is to encourage each child to be a responsible self-directed individual with a positive self-concept.

NAEYC accredited programs invest in early childhood education because they believe in the benefits to children and families. Early childhood experiences—from birth to age 8—have an enormous impact on children’s lifelong learning and positively contribute to their health and development. Early childhood education programs with the mark of quality benefit children with greater readiness for and success in school.

NAEYC Accreditation of programs for young children represents the mark of quality in early childhood education. NAEYC Accreditation began in 1985 with the goal of providing an accrediting system that would raise the level of early childhood programs. Today, over 6,500 programs are NAEYC Accredited.

The NAEYC Accreditation system was created to set professional standards for early childhood education, and to help families for more than 25 years to identify high-quality preschools, child care centers and other early education programs.

]]>Thu, 28 May 2015 00:00:00 MST All-American Lady Mats http://www.azwestern.edu/news/article_view.html?article_id=3197
YUMA, AZ – Having All-Americans in back-to-back spots in the batting order is a luxury. When the pair are first-year players, life becomes even better. After the National Junior College Athletic Association (NJCAA) announced the softball All-Americans, the luxury became a reality for the Arizona Western College Lady Matadors. Pitcher/outfielder Jessica “Flo” Flores was named a second-team All-American as a utility player, and catcher Alexis “Jenae” Lockwood was named to the third team.

“Both Jessica and Jenae had outstanding freshman seasons,” said head coach Nikki Bethurum. “All-American honors are a great indicator that you are doing the right things and show that you can play up with the top players in the nation. We are extremely proud of these two student-athletes and are looking forward to having them lead us into the 2016 season.”

Flores, the Arizona Community College Athletic Conference Player of the Year, spent the season writing her name into the Lady Matador record book. Her 1.045 season slugging percentage (second in the NJCAA) along with her .592 season on-base percentage both smashed the previous records. She finished second all-time with 17 home runs, and her .519 season batting average was one point shy of the season record set by Jessica Soria in 2011.

The freshman upped her game even more in conference play and set records with 62 RBI (previously held by Robyn Alvara, a First Team All-American in 2014), a .534 batting average and a 1.095 slugging percentage in conference games only. Her 16 home runs in conference play fell just short of Alvara’s record of 18, and her .597 conference on-base percentage was one point short of the all-time leader, Ashlee Ackerman. Her 13 doubles (tied for eighth), 47 runs scored (tied for fourth) and 62 hits (tied for ninth) also put her name in the record books.

Lockwood spent the season receiving Flores’ offerings as a pitcher, and the catcher used her rocket arm at home plate to keep base runners at first. She led the nation with 18 runners caught stealing and threw out 52.9% of the runners who tried.

On top of her excellence in the field, she produced at the plate, with most of the damage coming during conference play. Her conference excellence put her in the Lady Matador record books: nine homers (fifth), 45 runs scored (eighth), a .667 slugging percentage (15th) and 58 hits (tied for 16th). Her nine home runs also put her in a tie for 10th on the single-season list. On the season as a whole, she hit .364 with a .426 on-base percentage and a .595 slugging percentage.

This marks the first time since at least 1982 that the Lady Matadors have two or more players named to the NJCAA All-American teams in two straight seasons. Robyn Alvara and Bethany Olea were each First Team All-Americans last season.

--MATADORS--

]]>Thu, 28 May 2015 00:00:00 MST Spikes for Scholars http://www.azwestern.edu/news/article_view.html?article_id=3195
YUMA, AZ – Bump. Set. Spike on your buddy for a good cause. Be ready to swat volleyballs on Saturday, June 27 at the first ever Spikes for Scholars Lady Matador Co-Ed Volleyball Benefit Tournament at Arizona Western College.

Build a team and challenge your friends in this four-on-four tournament for those ages 18 and up (team sizes are unlimited). Create new glory days or relive the old ones as your team will be guaranteed four matches in pool play.

“This tournament is a great chance for us to connect with the local volleyball community and keep building on our success as a program,” said Arizona Western College athletic director Jerry Smith.

“I’m looking forward to a great turnout,” said new Lady Matador head coach Lorayne Chandler. “It’ll be a fun environment with plenty of entertainment.”

All games will be played on a women’s height net with men hitting behind the 10-foot line. Teams must have at least one member of each gender on the court at all times. Matches will be the best two out of three, and there will be a morning pool of teams and an afternoon pool.

The cost is $100 for teams that register before June 21. Registration jumps up to $150 for teams that register from June 21-26. All proceeds will go towards volleyball scholarships at Arizona Western College.

Yuma, AZ (May 13, 2015)-Arizona Western College, Northern Arizona-Yuma Branch Campus and University of Arizona announce the 2015 Commencement. The 2015 graduates will receive their diplomas at Veterans Memorial Stadium located at 7150 E. 24th Street, next to Gila Ridge High School, on Friday, May 15 at 8:00 PM.

AWC is proud to recognize a record number of degrees and occupational certificates at this year’s Commencement Ceremony. This year around 1200 degrees and 800 occupational certificates will be awarded. Certificate recipients will be recognized in the Commencement Program only.

Here is the makeup of the 1200 degrees:
Associate of Arts – 701
Associate of Science – 99
Associate of Applied Science -292
Associate of Business - 63
Associate of General Studies – 39

AWC’s Commencement Speaker Committee members have chosen Carmen Nance to be this year’s speaker. Carmen will be graduating with an AAS degree in Automotive Technology.

The Commencement will be broadcast live on AWC TV/Time Warner Cable Channel 74 at 8:00 PM. The telecast will be produced by AWC Television Services, which will continue to replay the Commencement throughout the following two weeks. Copies of the DVD will also be available for purchase through the AWC Foundation at www.Foundation.AZWestern.edu

Yuma, AZ (May 13, 2015)- The Arizona Western College 2015 Commencement will feature former Senator Amanda Aguirre as a special guest speaker at Friday night’s Commencement. AWC, Northern Arizona University Yuma Branch Campus and University of Arizona Yuma graduates, family and friends will have the opportunity to listen to Aguirre during AWC’s 51st commencement ceremony on Friday, May 15th beginning at 8pm on the field at Veteran’s Memorial Stadium located at the Gila Ridge High School in Yuma.

Aguirre served as the AWC Director of Services for South Yuma County from 1995 – 2001. "Based on her accomplishments, her background and her experiences, Amanda Aguirre is a great example to our graduates and our current students. We are lucky to have her," said Dr. Glenn Mayle, AWC President.

In 2003 Aguirre became the first female and first Hispanic to represent District 24 (new legislative district 4) in the Arizona House of Representatives and in the Arizona State Senate (in 2006) where she served in the Arizona State Senate through 2010. During her time in office, Senator Aguirre had great success in passing key bi-partisan legislation. In 2008 Senator Aguirre sponsored SB1263 Autism Spectrum Disorder “Steven’s Law,” which requires private medical insurance companies to provide Autism intervention service coverage under their insurance plan benefits. Other past successful legislation includes: the creation of a “Breast Cancer Awareness” special license plate with proceeds benefitting cancer screening for uninsured women; securing $1 Million dollars to fund the state diabetes prevention and awareness campaign; establishing liability protection guidelines for volunteer citizens performing emergency medical assistance during a state of emergency.

Aguirre presently serves in the capacity of President & CEO of the Regional Center for Border Health, Inc. since 1991 and its subsidiary San Luis Walk-In Clinic, Inc., a primary care rural health medical center. Aguirre has been involved for more than 30 years in health care and business administration and has lived in Yuma for the past 28 years. She possesses a life-long commitment to education and in 2007 she established a licensed post –secondary vocational program in the area of allied health training, which has generated job opportunities for over 600 individuals. Combined, the Regional Center for Border Health and San Luis Walk-In Clinic are a multi-billion dollar endeavor, and together employ more than 90 employees.